The present invention is directed to a pivot pin and retention clip assembly for a railroad car coupler adapted to pivotally connect a knuckle of the railroad car coupler to a body portion of the railroad car coupler, and in particular to a pivot pin and retention clip assembly including a pivot pin having a shank with a head at one end and a peripheral groove formed in the shank at a second end adapted to selectively receive a generally circular retention clip member in order to prevent removal of the pivot pin from the coupler.
Pivot pins that have previously been used to pivotally connect the knuckle of a railroad car coupler to the body of a railroad car coupler have included a shank that was generally uniformly cylindrical from a first end to a second end of the shank. The pivot pin included a head formed at the first end of the shank and a bore that extended generally diametrically through the shank at the second end of the shank. The head prevented the first end of the shank from sliding through the knuckle and coupler body. A cotter pin was typically inserted through the bore in the shank and the legs of the cotter pin which extended outwardly beyond the shank were bent to secure the cotter pin to the second end of the shank. The cotter pin prevented the second end of the shank from sliding through the knuckle and coupler body. Hand tools such as pliers were generally required to bend the legs of the cotter pin after insertion. Hand tools were also required to straighten the legs of the cotter pin to substantially their original position, and to then pull the cotter pin outwardly through the bore, in order to remove the pivot pin from the shank. A cotter pin that has been removed from a pivot pin is typically not reusable and a new cotter pin is required when the pivot pin is to be secured in place again. In addition, the legs and the head of the cotter pin project outwardly from the shank of the pivot pin. When the pivot pin rotates with respect to the knuckle or the coupler body, the head or the legs of the pivot pin can catch on the knuckle or the coupler body to prevent rotation of the pivot pin with respect to the knuckle and/or coupler body.